1. Field of the Invention
The present invention relates to stirrups aiding people entering or exiting a vehicle.
2. Description of the Prior Art
There are numerous prior inventions relating to stirrups and means for entering or exiting a vehicle, but none are equivalent to the present invention.
U.S. Pat. No. 642,215, issued on Jan. 30, 1900, to Eduard August Olef Erikson, discloses a step for mounting a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,329,443, issued on Jul. 4, 1967, to Elmo Lowder and Cordie S. Oliver, discloses a swing-out step for mounting a vehicle.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,758,134, issued on Sep. 11, 1973, to George E. Stewart, discloses a breakaway step for high clearance vehicles.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,839,755, issued on Oct. 8, 1974, to Anthony lannucci, discloses a mobile bed for the handicapped, with stirrups for supporting the feet of a handicapped person.
U.S. Pat. No. 3,915,451, issued on Oct. 28, 1975, to Robert C. Adams and Irma O. Adams, discloses a playground jumping device (or pogo stick) with stirrups for the feet of the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,013,287, issued on Mar. 22, 1977, to James J. Dickman, discloses a leg exercise and foot rest for automotive vehicles, in the form of a stirrup in the interior of an automobile.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,243,218, issued on Jan. 6, 1981, to Egas J. DeSousa, discloses a hopping vehicle (or pogo stick) with stirrups for the feet of the user.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,995,477, issued on Feb. 26, 1991, to Ann Perricone, discloses a safety device for elevators, with stirrups on ropes for passengers to use in an emergency.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,347,797, issued on Sep. 20, 1994, to Lesley T. Seal and Galen Seal, Jr., discloses a mounting stirrup for a horse, that allows a short rider to use one foot in the mounting stirrup to gain access to the regular stirrup with the other foot.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,509,630, issued on Apr. 23, 1996, to Jean-Marc Bringuier, discloses a motor vehicle for the shooting of a film in difficult and hilly ground, with stirrups for supporting the feet of a cameraman.
U.S. Pat. No. 5,738,340, issued on Apr. 14, 1998, to Charles U. Brantner, discloses a stirrup lifting device “for lifting a person onto an animal, large vehicle or other apparatus” (column 1, lines 48-50) with pulleys for raising the stirrups.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,082,752, issued on Jul. 4, 2000, to Randall M. Sumrall, discloses a step assembly, including a stirrup, for mounting to a wheel well of a vehicle to permit a user to step up on the side of the vehicle. The instant invention is distinguishable, in that it is attached in a different manner to the rear of the vehicle.
French Patent No. 2 617 776, published on Jan. 13, 1989, inventor Louis Marcel Brutsaert, discloses a clamping stirrup for fastening one or more objects to the wall of a vehicle.
German Patent No. 197 12 969, published on Oct. 30, 1997, inventors Axel Staats and Matthias Sandrock, discloses a child's car seat with a holding stirrup.
None of the above inventions and patents, taken either singly or in combination, is seen to describe the instant invention as claimed.